Thunderstorm Wind in Adair County, Iowa

Wind gusts of 70 to 75 mph, along with dime-sized hail.

A strong low level jet surging into the region, paired with increasing warm air and moisture advection into the morning hours of May 24th, led to the development of a line of showers and storms (QLCS) in Nebraska, which then swept across Iowa. MUCAPE values around 2000J/kg ahead of this line allowed for these storms to become severe within the QLCS as it rapidly tracked eastward across Iowa through the morning. Severe hail occurred with these storms, with values generally between 1-1.75 inches, though hail up to 2.5-2.75 inches was reported in Wayne county. Outside of the hail, severe winds were the primary hazard, with values reported generally between 58-75 mph. Widespread damage was reported due to the winds, with the majority of this damage being snapped trees/branches and power poles, some falling onto structures, as well as blown over semis. Outside of the hail and winds, a handful of tornadoes also occurred (please refer to the separate entry for those details).